Method and apparatus for generating, managing, and sharing moving path

ABSTRACT

Methods and apparatuses are provided for generating, managing, and sharing moving-path related information. A first mobile communication device, among the plurality of mobile communication devices, generates moving-path related information regarding a moving path generated by movement of the first mobile communication device. The moving-path related information of the first mobile communication device is transmitted to a central server to which the plurality of mobile communication devices are connected. The moving-path related information of the first mobile communication device transmitted to the central server is provided to at least one other mobile communication device of the plurality of mobile communication devices connected to the central server.

PRIORITY

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) to KoreanPatent Application No. 10-2010-0075049, filed on Aug. 3, 2010, andKorean Patent Application No. 10-2009-0077876, filed on Aug. 21, 2009,in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of which areincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to sharing and management of a moving pathin a mobile communication device.

2. Description of the Related Art

Navigation systems display a moving path considering a current position.Since human actions are likely to be repeated, it is not necessary tofind a new path each time a path finding function of the navigationsystems is executed.

An automatic path finding service using a navigation system or anInternet service are popular and common. However, a moving path is oftendetermined by a factor, such as human actions or habits, which cannot beexpressed or measured by an electric signal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been made to address at least the aboveproblems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantagesdescribed below. Accordingly, an aspect of the present inventionprovides utilization of moving-path related information by using mobilecommunication devices, which can obtain position information for sharingthe moving path.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a method is providedfor generating moving-path related information to be shared among aplurality of mobile communication devices. A first mobile communicationdevice among the plurality of mobile communication devices generatesmoving-path related information regarding a moving path generated bymovement of the first mobile communication device. The moving-pathrelated information of the first mobile communication device istransmitted to a central server to which the plurality of mobilecommunication devices are connected. The moving-path related informationof the first mobile communication device transmitted to the centralserver is provided to at least one other mobile communication device ofthe plurality of mobile communication devices connected to the centralserver.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method isprovided for sharing a moving path among a plurality of mobilecommunication devices. A second mobile communication device among theplurality of mobile communication devices receives moving-path relatedinformation regarding a moving path generated by movement of a firstmobile communication device among the plurality of mobile communicationdevices from a central server to which the plurality of mobilecommunication devices are connected. The second mobile communicationdevice performs moving-path guidance based on the received moving-pathrelated information of the first mobile communication device.

According to an additional aspect of the present invention, a method isprovided for managing moving paths of a plurality of mobilecommunication devices by a central server to which the plurality ofmobile communication devices are connected. Geographical informationregarding a moving path is received from a first mobile communicationdevice among the plurality of mobile communication devices. Moving-pathrelated information of the first mobile communication device isgenerated, which comprises the received geographical information andadditional information related to a moving path of the first mobilecommunication device. The moving-path related information of the firstmobile communication device is transmitted to a second mobilecommunication device among the plurality of mobile communicationdevices.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, a mobilecommunication device is provided that generates moving-path informationamong a plurality of mobile communication devices. The mobilecommunication device includes a moving-path related informationgenerating unit generating moving-path related information regarding amoving path of a first mobile communication device among the pluralityof mobile communication devices, and a moving-path related informationstoring unit storing the moving-path related information in a databaseand registering the moving path of the moving-path related informationin a moving-path history. The mobile communication device also includesa moving-path related information transmitting unit transmitting thegenerated moving-path related information to a central server to whichthe plurality of mobile communication devices are connected. Themoving-path related information transmitted to the central server isprovided to at least one other mobile communication device of theplurality of mobile communication devices connected to the centralserver.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a mobilecommunication device capable of performing geographical informationguidance for sharing a moving path among a plurality of mobilecommunication devices is provided. The mobile communication deviceincludes a moving-path related information receiving unit receivingmoving-path related information regarding a moving path generated bymovement of a first mobile communication device among the plurality ofmobile communication devices from a central server to which theplurality of communication devices are connected. The mobilecommunication device also includes a moving-path guiding unit performingmoving-path guidance based on the received moving-path relatedinformation of the first mobile communication device.

Additionally, according to an aspect of the present invention, a centralserver is provided that manages moving paths of a plurality of mobilecommunication devices connected to the central server. The centralserver includes a receiving unit receiving geographical informationrelated to a moving path from a first mobile communication device amongthe plurality of mobile communication devices. The central server alsoincludes a server moving-path information generating unit generatingmoving-path related information of the first mobile communicationdevice, which comprises the received geographical information andadditional information related to the moving path of the first mobilecommunication device. The central server further includes a servermoving-path information transmitting unit transmitting the moving-pathrelated information of the first mobile communication device to at leastone of the plurality of mobile communication devices.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, acomputer-readable recording medium is provided having recorded thereon aprogram for executing the method of generating moving-path relatedinformation to be shared among a plurality of mobile communicationdevices.

According to another aspect of the present invention, acomputer-readable recording medium is provided having recorded thereon aprogram for executing the method of sharing a moving path among aplurality of mobile communication devices.

According to an additional aspect of the present invention, acomputer-readable recording medium is provided having recorded thereon aprogram for executing the method of managing moving paths of a pluralityof mobile communication devices by a central server to which theplurality of mobile communication devices are connected.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will be more apparent from the following detailed descriptionwhen taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a first mobile communication device, whichgenerates moving-path related information, among a plurality of mobilecommunication devices capable of sharing a moving path, according to afirst embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a central server, which manages moving-pathrelated information for sharing of moving paths among a plurality ofmobile communication devices, according to a second embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a second mobile communication device, whichis provided with and shares moving-path related information, among aplurality of mobile communication devices capable of sharing a movingpath, according to embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a network for sharing moving-pathrelated information among a plurality of mobile communication devicesthrough a central server, according to the first embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a network for sharing moving-pathrelated information among a plurality of mobile communication devicesthrough a central server, according to the second embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIGS. 6, 7, 8, and 9 are views for describing a method of sharingmoving-path related information, according to embodiments of the presentinvention;

FIGS. 10, 11, and 12 are views for describing a method of sharingmoving-path related information including additional information,according to embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a method of comparing and updatingpaths registered in a moving-path history, according to embodiments ofthe present invention;

FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating a method of generating moving-pathrelated information to share moving paths among a plurality of mobilecommunication devices, according to the first embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating a method of managing moving-pathrelated information by a central server to share moving paths among aplurality of mobile communication devices, according to the secondembodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating a method of being provided with andsharing moving-path related information through sharing of themoving-path related information among a plurality of mobilecommunication devices, according to embodiments of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail withreference to the accompanying drawings. The same or similar componentsmay be designated by the same or similar reference numerals althoughthey are illustrated in different drawings. Detailed descriptions ofconstructions or processes known in the art may be omitted to avoidobscuring the subject matter of the present invention.

With reference to FIGS. 1 through 16, a description will be maderegarding a method of generating, managing, and sharing moving-pathrelated information among a plurality of mobile communication devicescapable of obtaining position information and guiding moving pathsthrough a central server to which the plurality of mobile communicationdevices are connected. A description will also be made of a structure ofa network for sharing moving-path related information according to anembodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of a structure of a network for sharingmoving-path related information among a plurality of mobilecommunication devices through a central server to which the plurality ofmobile communication devices are connected will be described withreference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3. More specifically, in a moving-pathrelated information sharing network (sharing network) according to afirst embodiment of the present invention, a first mobile communicationdevice generates and shares moving-path related information regarding amoving path formed by movement of the first mobile communication device.In a sharing network according to a second embodiment of the presentinvention, moving-path related information of the first mobilecommunication device generated by the central server is shared.

For convenience, a mobile communication device, which providesmoving-path related information, may be referred to as the first mobilecommunication device, and a mobile communication device, which isprovided with moving-path related information, may be referred to as thesecond mobile communication device.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a mobile communication device 100, whichgenerates and provides moving-path related information, according to thefirst embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram ofa central server 200, which generates and manages moving-path relatedinformation, according to the second embodiment of the presentinvention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a mobile communication device30, which is provided with and shares moving-path related information,according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention.

The moving-path related information according to embodiments of thepresent invention may include waypoint information, route information,and additional information related to a moving path. The waypointindicates a particular point, and the waypoint information, according toembodiments of the present invention, may include information indicatingat least one arbitrary point selected in a moving path.

The route indicates consecutive geographical positions on an intervalbetween predetermined points in the moving path, and may indicatepositions periodically measured by a sensor of a mobile communicationdevice. The route information, according to embodiments of the presentinvention, may include at least one of coordinate information, passingtime information, and interval information of each geographicalposition.

The waypoint information and the route information of the moving-pathrelated information, according to embodiments of the present invention,may be the position information obtained by a sensor which senses aGlobal Positioning System (GPS) signal or geographical information setby user input.

The additional information related to the moving path, according toembodiments of the present invention, may include various informationrelated to a particular point in the moving path of the first mobilecommunication device 100. For example, the various information mayinclude a geographical name of the particular point, a name of aneighboring principal place, a name of a road, an administrativeaddress, and so forth.

Information about a bus stop, a subway station, and the like around anarea through which the first mobile communication device 100 passes mayalso be used as the additional information related to the moving path.In addition, position information based on the coverage of a relaystation of mobile communication devices and geographical descriptioninput by a user may be used as the additional information related to themoving path.

Moreover, the additional information related to the moving pathaccording to embodiments of the present invention may includeinformation, such as traffic conditions, which changes in real time inrelation to a particular point in the moving path.

The additional information according to embodiments of the presentinvention may also include various data, e.g., text data, voice data,and video data, which are related to the moving path, without a limit.For example, image data or video data obtained by photographing aparticular point in the moving path with a photographing device of thefirst mobile communication device 100, and voice data recorded at theparticular point, may be used as the additional information. Textinformation, which records position description information fordescribing the particular point by the user, may also be used as theadditional information.

Such additional information may be generated by user input or downloadedthrough the web.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the first mobile communication device 100,which generates moving-path related information, among a plurality ofmobile communication devices capable of sharing a moving path, accordingto the first embodiment of the present invention.

The first mobile communication device 100, which generates and providesthe moving-path related information, according to the first embodimentof the present invention, includes a moving-path related informationgenerating unit 110, a moving-path related information storing unit 120,and a moving-path related information transmitting unit 130.

The moving-path related information generating unit 110, according tothe first embodiment of the present invention, generates moving-pathrelated information regarding a moving path formed by movement of thefirst mobile communication device 100. The moving-path relatedinformation, according to embodiments of the present invention, mayinclude waypoint information, route information, and additionalinformation related to the moving path of the first mobile communicationdevice 100.

The additional information related to the moving path, according to thefirst embodiment, may be generated and updated, according to whether thewaypoint or route information is obtained, or by user input of the firstmobile communication device 100. The additional information regardingthe moving path may be shared data downloaded through the web or mayinclude tag information regarding data on the web. Depending on securitysettings of the sharing network, according to the first embodiment ofthe present invention, the additional information regarding the movingpath may be shared only between mobile communication devices registeredin the sharing network.

Also, the additional information related to the moving path, accordingto the first embodiment of the present invention, may be updated at apoint in time when a counterpart mobile communication device connectedto the central server receives the moving-path related information ofthe first mobile communication device. The updated additionalinformation may be forwarded to the central server according to thefirst embodiment, and then to the counterpart mobile communicationdevice through the central server according to the first embodiment.

The moving-path related information storing unit 120, according to thefirst embodiment, stores moving-path related information generated bythe moving-path related information generating unit 110 in a database.The moving-path related information storing unit 120, according to thefirst embodiment, may add an index to the moving path and then store themoving path. In particular, the moving-path related information storingunit 120 may analyze frequency in pass-through of a moving path and mayestablish a database with the moving-path related information. Byestablishing the database, it is possible to generate moving pathguidance considering personal path finding knowhow or moving pathpreference.

The moving-path related information transmitting unit 130, according tothe first embodiment, transmits the moving-path related information to afirst central server to which a plurality of mobile communicationdevices are connected. The moving-path related information of the firstmobile communication device 100, which is transmitted to the firstcentral server, may be then provided to at least one of the plurality ofmobile communication devices connected to the first central server.

The moving-path related information of the first mobile communicationdevice 100 transmitted to the first central server from the moving-pathrelated information transmitting unit 130, according to the firstembodiment, may be stored in the first central server and then read outat the provisioning request of the second mobile communication device 30connected to the first central server, for transmission to the secondmobile communication device 30.

The moving-path related information of the first mobile communicationdevice 100 transmitted to the first central server from the moving-pathrelated information transmitting unit 130, according to the firstembodiment, may be transmitted in real time through the first centralserver to the second mobile communication device 30 connected to thefirst central server.

The moving-path related information may be directly transmitted from themoving-path related information transmitting unit 130, according to thefirst embodiment, to at least one of a plurality of mobile communicationdevices connected to the first central server.

A plurality of mobile communication devices, which desire to share themoving-path related information, may be authenticated with respect tothe first central server and then registered in the first centralserver. Users of the plurality of mobile communication devicesregistered in the first central server may be members of a particulargroup. For example, it is necessary to share, between family members,geographical information related to a moving path that is frequentlyused within an area of common life. Family members can share moving-pathrelated information after authenticating and registering their mobilecommunication devices in a home server.

The moving-path related information storing unit 120, according to thefirst embodiment, may register the moving path of the generatedmoving-path related information in a moving-path history. The movingpath registered in the moving-path history may include geographicalinformation such as waypoint information and route information.

The moving-path related information generating unit 110, according tothe first embodiment, if generating first moving-path relatedinformation regarding a new moving path, may determine whether a secondmoving path included in a range similar to a first moving path of thefirst moving-path related information has been registered among existingmoving paths registered in the moving-path history.

When the moving-path related information generating unit 110, accordingto the first embodiment, determines that the second moving path that issimilar to the first moving path has not been registered in themoving-path history, the moving-path related information storing unit120 may newly register the first moving path in the moving-path history.The moving-path related information storing unit 120, according to thefirst embodiment, may generate statistical data regarding the newlyregistered first moving path.

When the moving-path related information generating unit 110, accordingto the first embodiment, determines that the second moving path that issimilar to the first moving path has been registered in the moving-pathhistory, the moving-path related information storing unit 120 may updateaccumulated data of the statistical data of the second moving path. Themoving-path related information storing unit 120, according to the firstembodiment, may also update statistical values corresponding to theaccumulated data of the second moving path based on the first movingpath.

The moving-path related information generating unit 110, according tothe first embodiment, may compare the first moving path with the secondmoving path in real time to determine whether the first moving pathcurrently runs along the second moving path. The moving-path relatedinformation generating unit 110, according to the first embodiment, maycompare at least one of waypoint information and route information ofthe first moving-path related information with waypoint information androute information of second moving-path related information.

For example, deviation of at least one of a path, coordinates, and aspeed based on at least one of the waypoint information and the routeinformation of the first moving-path related information from the normaldistributions of the waypoint information and the route information ofthe second moving-path related information may be a determination factorfor determination of moving-path deviation.

If the moving-path related information generating unit 110, according tothe first embodiment, determines that the first moving path runs alongthe second moving path as a result of the real-time comparison anddetermination, the statistical data of the second moving path may beupdated based on the updated first moving path.

If the moving-path related information generating unit 110, according tothe first embodiment, determines that the first moving path deviatesfrom the second moving path as a result of the real-time comparison anddetermination, the first mobile communication device 100 according tothe first embodiment may perform a moving-path deviation indicatingoperation. The moving-path deviation indicating operation, according tothe first embodiment, may include an operation of generating amoving-path deviation alarm sound, an operation of displaying amoving-path deviation alarm window on a display screen of the firstmobile communication device 100, and an operation of generating avibration indicating moving-path deviation.

If the first moving path is changed with normal moving-path relatedinformation by user input on the first mobile communication device 100,the moving-path related information storing unit 120, according to thefirst embodiment, may update the accumulated data of the statisticaldata of the second moving path based on the first moving path.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the central server 200, which managesmoving-path related information for sharing of moving paths among aplurality of mobile communication devices, according to the secondembodiment of the present invention.

The central server 200, according to the second embodiment, includes areceiving unit 210, a server moving-path related information generatingunit 220, and a server moving-path related information transmitting unit230. A plurality of mobile communication devices may be connected to thecentral server 200. For convenience, the central server 200, accordingto the second embodiment, may be referred to as the second centralserver 200.

The second central server 200 may authenticate a plurality of mobilecommunication devices and register authenticated mobile communicationdevices as mobile communication devices among which moving-path relatedinformation can be shared.

The receiving unit 210, according to the second embodiment, receives,from the first mobile communication device among a plurality of mobilecommunication devices, geographical information related to a moving pathgenerated by movement of the first mobile communication device. Thegeographical information may include waypoint information and routeinformation related to the moving path.

The server moving-path related information generating unit 220,according to the second embodiment, generates moving-path relatedinformation of the first mobile communication device, which includes thegeographical information received by the receiving unit 210 andadditional information related to the moving path. Specifically, theserver moving-path related information generating unit 220 may generatemoving-path related information including waypoint information, routeinformation, and additional information related to the moving path.

If the receiving unit 210, according to the second embodiment, receivesadditional information related to the moving path of the first mobilecommunication device from the first mobile communication device, theserver moving-path related information generating unit 220 may generatemoving-path related information including the received additionalinformation together with the received waypoint information and routeinformation.

The receiving unit 210, according to the second embodiment, may receivea request for generating additional information related to the movingpath of the first mobile communication device from the first mobilecommunication device. In this case, the server moving-path relatedinformation generating unit 220, according to the second embodiment, maygenerate the additional information related to the moving path of thefirst mobile communication device, based on the waypoint information androute information received by the receiving unit 210.

The server moving-path related information generating unit 220,according to the second embodiment, may generate moving-path relatedinformation of the first mobile communication device, which includes thewaypoint information and route information received by the receivingunit 210, together with the generated additional information.

The server moving-path related information generating unit 220,according to the second embodiment, may search for data through the webto generate the additional information related to the moving path of thefirst mobile communication device. Alternatively, the server moving-pathrelated information generating unit 220, according to the secondembodiment, may download various additional information related to amoving path from an additional information server of a service providerwhich provides a moving path sharing service. The additional informationrelated to the moving path may further include tag information regardingthe data found through the web.

The additional information related to the moving path, according to thesecond embodiment, may be updated at a point in time when a counterpartmobile communication device connected to the second central server 200receives the moving-path related information of the first mobilecommunication device. The updated additional information may beforwarded to the second central server 200 and then to the counterpartmobile communication device through the central server 200, according tothe second embodiment.

The server moving-path related information transmitting unit 230,according to the second embodiment, may transmit the receivedmoving-path related information of the first mobile communication deviceto at least one of the plurality of mobile communication devicesconnected to the second central server 200.

The second central server 200 may receive a request for transmitting themoving-path related information of the first mobile communication devicefrom at least one second mobile communication device among the pluralityof mobile communication devices. The moving-path related informationtransmitting unit 230, according to the second embodiment, may forwardthe moving path related information of the first mobile communicationdevice, which is generated by the second central server 200, at therequest of the second mobile communication device, to the second mobilecommunication device.

Alternatively, the server moving-path related information transmittingunit 230, according to the second embodiment, may transmit themoving-path related information of the first mobile communicationdevice, which is generated by the second central server 200, to thesecond mobile communication device, on a real time basis.

The second central server 200 may store the moving-path relatedinformation of the first mobile communication device, which is generatedby the server moving-path related information generating unit 220,according to the second embodiment, in a database of each mobilecommunication device.

The second central server 200 may register the moving path of themoving-path related information stored in the database of the firstmobile communication device in the moving-path history.

The server moving-path related information generating unit 220,according to the second embodiment, if generating third moving-pathrelated information regarding a new moving path, determines whether afourth moving path included in a range similar to the third moving pathof the third moving-path related information has been registered amongexisting moving paths registered in the moving-path history.

When the server moving-path related information generating unit 220,according to the second embodiment, determines that the fourth movingpath similar to the third moving path has not been registered in themoving-path history, the second central server 200 may newly registerthe third moving path in the moving-path history. The second centralserver 200 may generate statistical data regarding the newly registeredthird moving path.

When the server moving-path related information generating unit 220,according to the second embodiment, determines that the fourth movingpath similar to the third moving path has been registered in themoving-path history, the second central server 200 may updateaccumulated data of statistical data of the fourth moving path based onthe third moving path. The second central server 200 may also updatestatistical values corresponding to the accumulated data of the fourthmoving path.

The server moving-path related information generating unit 220,according to the second embodiment, may compare the third moving pathwith the fourth moving path in real time to determine whether the thirdmoving path currently runs along the fourth moving path. The servermoving-path related information generating unit 220, according to thesecond embodiment, may compare at least one of waypoint information androute information of the third moving-path related information withwaypoint information and route information of fourth moving-path relatedinformation.

For example, deviation of at least one of a path, coordinates, and aspeed based on at least one of the waypoint information and the routeinformation of the third moving-path related information from the normaldistributions of the waypoint information and the route information ofthe fourth moving-path related information may be determination factorsfor determination of moving-path deviation.

If the server moving-path related information generating unit 220,according to the second embodiment, determines that the third movingpath runs along the fourth moving path as a result of the real-timecomparison and determination, the statistical data of the fourth movingpath may be updated based on the updated third moving path.

If the server moving-path related information generating unit 220,according to the second embodiment, determines that the third movingpath deviates from the fourth moving path as a result of the real-timecomparison and determination, the second central server 200 may transmitmoving-path deviation alarm information to the first mobilecommunication device.

If the third moving path is changed with normal moving-path relatedinformation by user input on the first mobile communication device, thesecond central server 200 may update the accumulated data of thestatistical data of the fourth moving path based on the third movingpath.

When the second central server 200 is a home server, a user of each ofthe first mobile communication device and the second mobilecommunication device may be a member of a particular group, such asfamily members or co-workers.

The receiving unit 210, according to the second embodiment, may registermoving paths of moving-path related information received from at leastone of the plurality of mobile communication devices in a moving-pathhistory. Thus, the second central server 200 may generate statisticaldata regarding a fifth moving path based on the moving-path relatedinformation received from the plurality of mobile communication devices.

When the receiving unit 210, according to the second embodiment,receives sixth moving-path related information from the first mobilecommunication device, if the second central server 200 determines thatthe fifth moving path is similar to a sixth moving path among the otherplurality of mobile communication devices registered in the moving-pathhistory, the second central server 200 may update the statistical dataregarding the fifth moving path based on the statistical data of thesixth moving path.

The second central server 200 may generate moving-path relatedinformation to be recommended to the second mobile communication device,based on moving-path related information accumulated by the plurality ofmobile communication devices. For example, the second central server 200may analyze the statistical data of the fifth moving path to generaterecommended moving-path related information including ashortest-distance path corresponding to the fifth moving path, a way tomove by public transportation, a shortest-time path based on trafficconditions, and a principal local place. Thus, if the second centralserver 200 determines that the fifth moving path registered in themoving-path history is similar to the sixth moving path, recommendedmoving-path related information of the fifth moving path may betransmitted for the sixth moving path.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the second mobile communication device,which is provided with and shares moving-path related information amonga plurality of mobile communication devices capable of sharingmoving-path related information therebetween.

The second mobile communication device 30, which is provided with andshares moving-path related information, according to embodiments of thepresent invention, includes a moving-path related information receivingunit 31 and a moving-path guiding unit 32. The second mobilecommunication device 30 may be a second mobile communication device withrespect to the first mobile communication device 100, according to thefirst embodiment described with reference to FIG. 1, or a second mobilecommunication device with respect to the central server 200, accordingto the second embodiment described with reference to FIG. 2.

The moving-path related information receiving unit 31 receivesmoving-path related information generated by movement of the firstmobile communication device 100 from a central server to which aplurality of mobile communication devices are connected. In the case ofa sharing network 300, according to the first embodiment, themoving-path related information receiving unit 31 may receivemoving-path related information generated by the first mobilecommunication device 100. In case of a sharing network 350, according tothe second embodiment, the moving-path related information receivingunit 31 may receive moving-path related information of the first mobilecommunication device, which is generated by the second central server200.

The second mobile communication device 30, according to embodiments ofthe present invention, may request the central server to provide themoving-path related information of the first mobile communicationdevice. Thus, the moving-path related information receiving unit 31 mayreceive the moving-path related information of the first mobilecommunication device, which is transmitted in real time through thecentral server according to the first embodiment or the central server200 according to the second embodiment.

The second mobile communication device 30, according to embodiments ofthe present invention, may also request the first mobile communicationdevice 100 to provide the moving-path related information of the firstmobile communication device 100. In this case, the moving-path relatedinformation receiving unit 31 may receive the moving-path relatedinformation of the first mobile communication device 100, which isdirectly transmitted from the first mobile communication device 100according to the first embodiment.

The moving-path guiding unit 32 may share the received moving-pathrelated information of the first mobile communication device andperforms moving path guidance by using the shared moving-path relatedinformation.

The moving-path related information, according to embodiments of thepresent invention, may include waypoint information, route information,and additional information. Based on the waypoint information and theroute information of the moving-path related information, themoving-path guiding unit 32 may determine whether the moving path of thesecond mobile communication device 30 runs along the moving path of thefirst mobile communication device. The moving-path guiding unit 32 mayperform a moving-path deviation indicating operation if the currentmoving path of the second mobile communication device 30 deviates from ashared moving path. For example, the second mobile communication device30 may generate an alarm sound or vibration indicating moving-pathdeviation or may display an alarm window on the display screen.

The moving-path guiding unit 32 may recommend a shortest-distance pathcorresponding to the current moving path, a way to move by publictransportation, a shortest-time path based on traffic conditions, and aprincipal local place, based on the additional information of themoving-path related information. For example, the moving-path guidingunit 32 may obtain information about public transportation and a stopavailable in a predetermined moving path through the web. Themoving-path guiding unit 32, according to an embodiment, may obtainrecommended moving-path related information, such as, ashortest-distance path corresponding to the moving path of the firstmobile communication device 100, a way to move by public transportation,a shortest-time path based on traffic conditions, and a principal localplace, directly from the Internet.

The moving-path guiding unit 32 may also recommend at least one of ashortest-distance path corresponding to the moving path of the firstmobile communication device 100, a way to move by public transportation,a shortest-time path based on traffic conditions, and a principal localplace, based on the recommended moving-path related information receivedfrom the second central server 200.

Although the first mobile communication device and the second mobilecommunication device according to embodiments of the present inventionhave been described as being separated from each other, an entity forproviding moving-path related information and an entity being providedwith the moving-path related information are not necessarily separatedfrom each other.

For example, all components of the first mobile communication device andthe second mobile communication devices may be included in a singlemobile communication device. A predetermined mobile communication devicemay transmit moving-path related information to a central server toshare first moving-path related information obtained by a component ofthe first mobile communication device, and may receive and sharemoving-path related information to be shared with other mobilecommunication devices connected to the central server through allcomponents of the second mobile communication device.

Group members having similar activity areas may have similar movingpaths in the activity areas. If one of the group members knows ashortcut from previous experience, it may be desirable to shareinformation about the shortcut between the group members. Hence, byusing a plurality of mobile communication devices which sharemoving-path related information through a central server to which themobile communication devices are connected according to embodiments ofthe present invention, information corresponding to a moving path of amember who knows the shortcut may be shared between the members.

In addition, information about the moving path of a member is sharedwith the other group members through the central server 200, thusfacilitating sharing of the information about the moving path withmembers having a long distance therebetween. Moreover, geographicalinformation can be expressed considering additional information invarious formats for describing a geographical position, such as imagedata and address information, as well as geographical information like amap, thereby expressing a moving path in an easy-to-understand andintuitive manner.

Furthermore, by accumulating statistical data regarding moving-pathrelated information and performing statistical analysis using theaccumulated statistical data, accurate moving-path related informationis accumulated and thus accurate moving-path related information can begenerated and shared.

FIG. 4 illustrates a sharing network 300 for moving-path relatedinformation among a plurality of mobile communication devices through acentral server, according to the first embodiment of the presentinvention.

The sharing network 300 according to the first embodiment includes afirst user 310, a central server 320, and a second user 330. The firstuser 310 carries the first mobile communication device 100 describedwith reference to FIG. 1, and the second user 330 carries the secondmobile communication device 30 described with reference to FIG. 3. Thecentral server 320 may correspond to the central server described withreference to FIG. 1.

The first mobile communication device 100 of the first user 310 may be acellular phone 312 or a navigation system 314. Similarly, the secondmobile communication device 30 of the second user 330, which is capableof performing moving-path guidance, may be a cellular phone 332 or anavigation system 334. The first user 310 and the second user 330 may bemembers of a particular group, such as members of a family.

According to a moving path of the first user 310 carrying the firstmobile communication device 312 or 314, the first mobile communicationdevice 312 or 314 may generate moving-path related information inoperation S315. When generating the moving-path related information, thefirst mobile communication device 312 or 314 may use additionalinformation 316 related to the moving path.

The moving-path related additional information 316 may include datagenerated by input of the first user 310 to the first mobilecommunication device 312 or 314, and data downloaded through the web340. For example, information about a name indicating a current point, aname of a principal place in the vicinity of the current point, and anadministrative address of the current point may be generated throughinput of the first user 310.

The additional information 316, such as information about publictransportation in the moving path, information about a principal placein the moving path, information about traffic conditions, and statuschange update information of a moving path may be added to themoving-path related information of the first mobile communication device312 or 314. The additional information 316 may be downloaded or updatedthrough the web 340.

The first mobile communication device 100 may obtain the additionalinformation 316 by searching for common data on the web 340. The firstmobile communication device 100 may also obtain the additionalinformation 316 from a separate server for providing the moving-pathrelated additional information, which is run by a provider of amoving-path sharing service.

Since the moving-path related information of the first user 310 isthought to be useful for other family members residing in the same zone,the first user 310 transmits the moving-path related informationgenerated by the first mobile communication device 312 or 314 to thecentral server 320 in step S317.

The central server 320, according to the first embodiment, forwards themoving-path related information received from the first mobilecommunication device 312 or 314 of the first user 310 to the secondmobile communication device 332 or 334 of the second user 330 inoperation S325. In this case, as the second mobile communication device332 or 334 of the second user 330 transmits a call for requestingsharing of the moving-path related information with the first user 310to the central server 320, the central server 320 may transmit themoving-path related information of the first user 310 to the secondmobile communication device 332 or 334.

In operation S335, the second user 330 may perform path guidance alongthe moving path of the first user 310, by using the moving-path relatedinformation of the first user 310 received from the central server 320.The second mobile communication device 332 or 334 of the second user 330may feed back a result of the moving-path guidance to the central server320 in operation S337.

The second mobile communication device 332 or 334 of the second user 330may request the central server 320 to update the moving-path relatedinformation of the first mobile communication device 312 or 314 and itsrelated statistical data according to the moving-path guidance. Newmoving-path related information obtained directly by the second mobilecommunication device 332 or 334 may also be transmitted to the centralserver 320 so that the obtained information can be shared betweenmembers on the sharing network, according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 illustrates a sharing network 350 for moving-path relatedinformation among a plurality of mobile communication devices through acentral server, according to the second embodiment of the presentinvention.

The sharing network 350, according to the second embodiment, includes afirst user 360, a central server 370, and the second user 330. The firstuser 360 carries the first mobile communication device described withreference to FIG. 2, and the second user 330 carries the second mobilecommunication device 30 described with reference to FIG. 3. The centralserver 370 corresponds to the second central server 200 described withreference to FIG. 2. The first mobile communication device of the firstuser 360 may be a cellular phone 362 or a navigation system 364.

According to a moving path of the first user 360 carrying the firstmobile communication device described with reference to FIG. 2, thefirst mobile communication device 362 or 364 transmits waypointinformation and route information, which are related to the moving path,to the central server 370 in operation S365.

In operation S375, the central server 370 then generates moving-pathrelated information of the first user 360 by using the waypointinformation and route information received from the first mobilecommunication device 362 or 364. The moving-path related information mayinclude various additional information 366 and 376 related to the movingpath.

The central server 370, according to the second embodiment, may receivethe additional information 366 related to the moving path from the firstmobile communication device. The central server 370 may receive arequest for generating moving-path related additional information fromthe first mobile communication device.

The central server 370, according to the second embodiment, may searchcommon data on the web 340 to obtain the additional information 376. Thecentral server 370 may also obtain the additional information 376 froman additional information server related to the moving path.

The central server 370, according to the second embodiment, generatesmoving-path related information of the first mobile communication device362 or 364 and then forwards the generated moving-path relatedinformation to the second mobile communication device 332 or 334 inoperation S377. As the second mobile communication device 332 or 334 ofthe second user 330 transmits a call for requesting sharing of themoving-path related information with the first user 360 to the centralserver 370, the central server 370 may transmit the moving-path relatedinformation of the first user 360 generated therein to the second mobilecommunication device 332 or 334.

In operation S385, the second user 330 may perform path guidance alongthe moving path of the first user 360 by using the moving-path relatedinformation of the first user 360 received from the central server 370.The second mobile communication device 332 or 334 of the second user 330may also feed back a result of the moving-path guidance to the centralserver 370, in operation S387. The second mobile communication device332 or 334 of the second user 330 may request the central server 370 toupdate the moving-path related information of the first mobilecommunication device 362 or 364 and its related statistical dataaccording to the moving-path guidance. New moving-path relatedinformation obtained directly by the second mobile communication device332 or 334 may also be transmitted to the central server 370 so that theobtained information can be shared between members on the sharingnetwork, according to the first embodiment.

Hereinafter, moving-path related information, according to embodimentsof the present invention, will be described with reference to FIGS. 6through 13. Additional information related to a moving path generated bymovement of a first mobile communication device may be used in bothmoving path sharing networks of the first and second embodiments.

FIGS. 6, 7, 8, and 9 are views for describing a method of sharingmoving-path related information, according to embodiments of the presentinvention.

In the networks for sharing moving-path related information according tothe first embodiment and the second embodiment, a central server 400registers a first mobile communication device 410 as a moving-pathsharing device. A first user of the first mobile communication device410 is authorized by the central server 400 to share moving-path relatedinformation. The following description is based on the assumption thatthe central server 400 is a server for authorizing co-workers of thefirst user to share moving-path related information.

In the case of the sharing network 300 according to the firstembodiment, the first mobile communication device 410 generatesmoving-path related information including geographical information 420regarding a moving path generated by movement of the first user from anoffice to a head office. The first mobile communication device 410transmits the generated moving-path related information to the centralserver 400.

The geographical information 420 regarding the moving path from theoffice to the head office may include waypoint information and routeinformation obtained from a GPS signal. In the sharing network accordingto the first embodiment, the first mobile communication device 410 maytransmit moving-path related information corresponding to a businessactivity area of a co-worker of a user, each time obtaining themoving-path related information. For example, the first mobilecommunication device 410 may generate moving-path related informationincluding the geographical information 420 regarding a moving path froman office to the head office, geographical information 422 regarding amoving path from the office to a bank for business, and geographicalinformation 424 regarding a moving path from a bus terminal to a localbranch. The first mobile communication device 410 may transmit thegenerated moving-path related information to the central server 400.

In the case of the sharing network 350 according to the secondembodiment, the first mobile communication device 410 may transmit thegeographical information 420, 422, or 424 for a corresponding movingpath to the central server 400. The central server 400, according to thesecond embodiment, may generate moving-path related informationincluding the geographic information 420, 422, or 424 received for acorresponding moving path.

A second mobile communication device 430 may receive moving-path relatedinformation transmitted from the central server 400 in the sharingnetworks of the first and second embodiments. For example, the secondmobile communication device 430 may selectively receive, from thecentral server 400, at least one of the moving-path related informationfrom the office to the head office, the moving-path related informationfrom the office to the bank, and the moving-path related informationfrom the bus terminal to the local branch in a moving path of a firstco-worker of the first user.

When performing path guidance based on the moving-path relatedinformation including the geographical information 420 regarding ashared moving path 440, while on the move, the second mobilecommunication device 430 may compare the shared moving path 440indicated by the geographical information 420 regarding the sharedmoving path 440 with a current moving path 450 of the second mobilecommunication device 430. If the current moving path 450 is not matchedwith the shared moving path 440, the second mobile communication device430 may perform a moving-path deviation indicating operation indicatingthat the current moving path 450 deviates from the shared moving path440.

Since the first mobile communication device 410 and the second mobilecommunication device 430 share geographical information regarding amoving path through the central server 400, a database of moving pathsmay be established taking account of the frequency of selection of amoving path by members, and a stable sharing service can be provided.

FIGS. 10, 11, and 12 are views for describing a method of sharingmoving-path related information including additional information,according to embodiments of the present invention.

A first mobile communication device 500 may photograph an object, whichmay serve as a landmark, by using a camera device mounted thereon. Theobject serving as a landmark may be a structure such as a building, astatue, or a bridge, or a natural specialty such as a tree, a mountain,or a river, or a sign, without being limited to a particular thing.

During movement of the first mobile communication device 500, a user mayphotograph a famous statue as a landmark, thereby obtaining image data505 of the statue.

The first mobile communication device 500 may photograph a famousbuilding and a bridge the user may access during the movement, therebyobtaining image data 507 of the building and image data 509 of thebridge.

In the case of the moving-path sharing network 300 according to thefirst embodiment, the first mobile communication device 500 generatesmoving-path related information including additional information such asthe image data 505 of the statue, the image data 507 of the building,and the image data 509 of the bridge, which are obtained byphotographing in the current moving path. The first mobile communicationdevice 500 generates geographical information 520 regarding the currentmoving path, and transmits the generated moving-path related informationto a central server 510.

In the case of the moving-path sharing network 350 according to thesecond embodiment, the first mobile communication device 500 maytransmit the additional information such as the image data 505 of thestatue, the image data 507 of the building, and the image data 509 ofthe bridge, which are obtained by photographing in the current movingpath, together with the geographical information 520 regarding thecurrent moving path, to the central server 510. Thus, the central server510 may generate moving-path related information including the receivedgeographical information 520 and the additional information such as theimage data 505, 507, and 509.

The second mobile communication device 530 is authorized by a user ofthe first mobile communication device 500 or the central server 510 toaccess moving-path related information 540, and then receives themoving-path related information 540 through the central server 510. Inthis case, the moving-path related information 540 may be collectivedata where the image data 505 of the statue is inserted at a position ofthe statue, the image data 507 of the building is inserted at a positionof the building, and the image data 509 of the bridge is inserted at aposition of the bridge along a moving path 525 of the geographicalinformation 520. If it is difficult to directly insert additionalinformation related to a landmark to a position of the landmark of theoriginal geographical information due to the size or resolution of imagedata to be inserted, a link to the image data of the landmark or taginformation for the image data may be inserted into the position of thelandmark in the geographical information.

Therefore, in the moving-path sharing networks 300 and 350, according toembodiments of the present invention, additional information such as animage of a landmark, together with position information, is given to auser who is not familiar with a moving path or a user who does noteasily understand a map, thereby allowing the user to easily andconveniently follow path guidance in comparison to a conventional pathguidance method using only map information based on a GPS signal.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a method of comparing and updatingpaths registered in a moving-path history, according to embodiments ofthe present invention.

Operations related to a moving-path history described with reference toFIG. 13 may be applied to the first mobile communication device 100according to the first embodiment and the central server 200 accordingto the second embodiment.

In step 1310, first moving-path related information is newly generatedor received.

In step 1320, it is determined whether a second moving path included ina similar range to a first moving path of the first moving-path relatedinformation has been registered among existing moving paths registeredin a moving-path history.

If the second moving path similar to the first moving path has not beenregistered in the moving-path history as a result of the determinationof step 1320, the first moving path is newly registered in themoving-path history in step 1330. Statistical data regarding the newlyregistered first moving path may also be generated.

If the second moving path similar to the first moving path has beenregistered in the moving-path history as a result of the determinationof step 1320, accumulated data of statistical data of the second movingpath may be updated based on the first moving path in step 1340.Statistical values may also be updated based on the accumulated data. Inthis way, as the number of times a new moving path similar to the secondmoving path is stored increases, the reliability of the statistical dataand the statistical values of the second moving path may be improved.

In step 1350, the first moving path and the second moving path may becompared in real time to determine whether the first moving pathcurrently runs along the second moving path. Normal distributions of apath, coordinates, and a speed corresponding to the second moving pathmay be factors for determination of moving-path deviation. For example,if at least one of a path, coordinates, and a speed corresponding to thefirst moving path deviate from the normal distributions of the secondmoving path based on at least one of waypoint information and routeinformation of first moving-path related information, it may bedetermined that the first moving path currently deviates from the secondmoving path.

If the first moving path does not deviate from the second moving path asa result of the real-time comparison and determination of step 1350, theprocess returns to step 1340 to update the statistical data of thesecond moving path based on the current moving path.

If the first moving path deviates from the second moving path as aresult of the real-time comparison and determination of step 1350, amoving-path deviation indicating operation may be performed ormoving-path deviation indicating information may be transmitted in step1360.

In step 1370, upon input of a signal confirming that the first movingpath is a normal moving path from a user of the first mobilecommunication device, accumulated data of statistical data of the secondmoving path may be updated based on the first moving path.

According to embodiments of the present invention, a determinationcriterion for determining the degree of similarity between the firstmoving path and the second moving path in step 1320 and a determinationcriterion for determining whether the first moving path runs along thesecond moving path by comparing in real time the first moving path withthe second moving path in step 1350, may be set independently of eachother. For example, the determination criterion of step 1350 may bestricter than that of step 1320.

All of moving paths of a plurality of mobile communication devicessharing moving-path related information may be registered in amoving-path history. In this case, if it is determined that a currentmoving path of a mobile communication device is included in a similarrange to a moving path of another mobile communication device alreadyregistered in the moving-path history, statistical data regarding themoving path of the mobile communication device registered in themoving-path history may be updated.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating a method of generating moving-pathrelated information to share moving paths among a plurality of mobilecommunication devices, according to the first embodiment of the presentinvention.

In step 1410, when the plurality of mobile communication devices areconnected to the central server, moving-path related informationregarding a moving path generated by movement of the first mobilecommunication device is generated.

Waypoint information and route information included in the moving-pathrelated information may include geographical information such asposition information and coordinate information based on a GPS signal.Additional information included in the moving-path related informationmay include various supplementary data for indicating a particular pointin the moving path, such as an administrative address, a common name,and a neighboring principal place in regard to the moving path,reference point information of a public transport, relay stationcoverage information of the plurality of mobile communication devices,position setting information, traffic conditions, and so forth. Theadditional information included in the moving-path related informationmay also include various text data, voice data, image data, and videodata, such as image data captured by a camera device of the first mobilecommunication device in connection with the moving path. The additionalinformation may be generated by user input or downloaded through theweb.

In step 1420, the moving-path related information of the first mobilecommunication device is transmitted to the central server. At therequest of the second mobile communication device, the moving-pathrelated information of the first mobile communication device may betransmitted from the central server to the second mobile communicationdevice. Alternatively, the moving-path related information of the firstmobile communication device may be transmitted directly to the secondmobile communication device.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating a method of managing moving-pathrelated information by a central server to share moving paths among aplurality of mobile communication devices, according to the secondembodiment of the present invention.

To allow a plurality of mobile communication devices of mutuallyauthorized users to share moving-path related information, the pluralityof mobile communication devices are authorized and registered as mobilecommunication devices capable of sharing moving-path related informationin the central server.

In step 1510, geographical information related to a moving pathgenerated by movement of the first mobile communication device isreceived from the first mobile communication device among the pluralityof mobile communication devices. The geographical information related tothe moving path may include waypoint information and route information.The moving-path related information of the first mobile communicationdevice may be a moving path based on experience of the user of the firstmobile communication device.

In step 1520, moving-path related information of the first mobilecommunication device, which includes received geographical informationand additional information related to the moving path of the firstmobile communication device, is generated. If the additional informationrelated to the moving path is received from the first mobilecommunication device, the central server may generate the moving-pathrelated information of the first mobile communication device by usingthe received waypoint information, route information, and additionalinformation.

If the central server receives a request for generating additionalinformation from the first mobile communication device, the centralserver may generate the additional information based on the receivedwaypoint information and route information or search the additionalinformation on the web. In this case, the central server may generatemoving-path related information of the first mobile communicationdevice, by using the received waypoint information and route informationtogether with the generated additional information.

In step 1530, the moving-path related information of the first mobilecommunication device is transmitted to a second mobile communicationdevice among the plurality of mobile communication devices.Consequently, through the central server, moving-path relatedinformation can be generated, managed, and shared between the firstmobile communication device and the second mobile communication device.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating a method of being provided with andsharing moving-path related information through sharing of themoving-path related information among a plurality of mobilecommunication devices, according to embodiments of the presentinvention.

In step 1610, a second mobile communication device among a plurality ofmobile communication devices receives moving-path related informationregarding a moving path generated by movement of a first mobilecommunication device among the plurality of mobile communication devicesfrom a central server. The moving-path related information stored by thefirst mobile communication device includes waypoint information, routeinformation, and additional information related to the moving paththrough which the first mobile communication device passes. Theplurality of mobile communication devices including the first mobilecommunication device and the second mobile communication device areconnected to the central server.

The second mobile communication device may request the first mobilecommunication device, through the central server, or the central serverto share a moving-path. At the request of the second mobilecommunication device, moving-path related information of the firstmobile communication device may be transmitted to the second mobilecommunication device from the first mobile communication device or thecentral server.

In step 1620, based on the received moving-path related information ofthe first mobile communication device, moving-path guidance is performedby the second mobile communication device. If the current moving path ofthe second mobile communication device deviates from the moving path ofthe first mobile communication device, an alarm sound may be generated.

In a method of sharing moving-path related information according to anembodiment of the present invention, information regarding a moving pathbased on personal experience, rather than a moving path found by aformula or algorithm for finding a shortest distance, can be shared,thereby providing reliability and practical moving-path relatedinformation to persons in similar life or activity areas. However, thefirst and second embodiments should be considered in a descriptive senseonly, and all possible embodiments under the scope of the presentinvention are not limited thereto.

The foregoing embodiments of the present invention may be implemented asprograms that can be executed on computers, and may be implemented ongeneral-purpose digital computers, which operate the programs by usingcomputer-readable recording media. Examples of the computer-readablerecording media include magnetic storage media (e.g., Read Only Memory(ROM), floppy disks, hard disks, and so forth) and optical reading media(e.g., CD-ROMs, digital versatile discs (DVDs), and the like).

While the invention has been shown and described with reference tocertain embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of ordinaryskill in the art that various changes in form and detail may be madetherein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention asdefined by the appended claims. The embodiments should be considered ina descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Therefore,the scope of the present invention is defined not by the detaileddescription of the invention but by the appended claims, and alldifferences within the scope of the present invention will be construedas being included in the present invention.

1. A method of generating moving-path related information to be sharedamong a plurality of mobile communication devices, the method comprisingthe steps of: generating, by a first mobile communication device amongthe plurality of mobile communication devices, moving-path relatedinformation regarding a moving path generated by movement of the firstmobile communication device; and transmitting the moving-path relatedinformation of the first mobile communication device to a central serverto which the plurality of mobile communication devices are connected,wherein the moving-path related information of the first mobilecommunication device transmitted to the central server is provided to atleast one other mobile communication device of the plurality of mobilecommunication devices connected to the central server.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the moving-path related information comprises at leastone of waypoint information, route information, and additionalinformation, which are related to the moving path.
 3. The method ofclaim 2, wherein the waypoint information related to the moving pathindicates at least one arbitrary geographical point selected from themoving path.
 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the route informationrelated to the moving path is defined by at least one of geographicalcoordinates of consecutive points in a particular interval of the movingpath, a time related to the particular interval, and the particularinterval.
 5. The method of claim 2, wherein the additional informationrelated to the moving path comprises at least one of text data, voicedata, and video data having at least one of an administrative address, acommon name, a neighboring principal place in regard to the moving pathof the first mobile communication device, an image captured by a cameradevice of the first mobile communication device, a reference point of apublic transport related to the moving path of the first mobilecommunication device, a coverage of a relay station of the plurality ofmobile communication devices, position description, and informationabout traffic conditions.
 6. The method of claim 4, wherein theadditional information related to the moving path is updated by input ofa user of the first mobile communication device or data shared throughthe web.
 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising: updating, by thefirst mobile communication device, the additional information related tothe moving path at a point in time when a second mobile communicationdevice connected to the central server receives the moving-path relatedinformation of the first mobile communication device; and transmitting,by the first mobile communication device, the updated additionalinformation to the central server, wherein the updated additionalinformation is transmitted to the second mobile communication device viathe central server.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the moving-pathrelated information of the first mobile communication device is providedto the at least one other mobile communication device at a request ofthe at least one other mobile communication device connected to thecentral server.
 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:transmitting, by the first mobile communication device, the moving-pathrelated information directly to the at least one other mobilecommunication device connected to the central server.
 10. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the plurality of mobile communication devices areauthenticated with respect to and registered in the central server. 11.The method of claim 1, further comprising: storing the generatedmoving-path related information in a database; and registering themoving path of the generated moving-path related information in amoving-path history.
 12. The method of claim 9, wherein registering inthe moving-path history comprises, if the first mobile communicationdevice generates first moving-path related information regarding a firstmoving path, determining whether a second moving path included in asimilar range to a first moving path of the first moving-path relatedinformation has been registered among existing moving paths registeredin the moving-path history.
 13. The method of claim 12, whereinregistering in the moving-path history further comprises: if the secondmoving path has not been registered as a result of the determination,newly registering the first moving path in the moving-path history; andgenerating statistical data regarding the first moving path.
 14. Themethod of claim 12, further comprising: if the second moving path hasbeen registered as a result of the determination, updating accumulateddata of statistical data of the second moving path based on the firstmoving path; and updating and determining statistical values based onthe accumulated data.
 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:comparing the first moving path with the second moving path in real timeto determine whether the first moving path runs along the second movingpath.
 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: if the firstmoving path does not deviate from the second moving path as a result ofthe real-time comparison and determination, updating statistical data ofthe second moving path based on currently updated data of the firstmoving path.
 17. The method of claim 15, further comprising: if thefirst moving path deviates from the second moving path as a result ofthe real-time comparison and determination, performing a moving-pathdeviation indicating operation indicating moving-path deviation of thefirst mobile communication device.
 18. The method of claim 15, whereinthe real-time comparison and determination comprises comparing waypointinformation and route information of second moving-path relatedinformation of the second moving path with at least one of waypointinformation and route information of the first moving-path relatedinformation of the first moving path.
 19. The method of claim 18,wherein the real-time comparison and determination comprises determiningwhether at least one of a path, coordinates, and speed corresponding toat least one of the waypoint information and the route information ofthe first moving-path related information of the first moving pathdeviates from normal distributions of the waypoint information and theroute information of the second moving-path related information of thesecond moving path.
 20. The method of claim 17, wherein performing themoving-path deviation indicating operation comprises updating theaccumulated data of the statistical data of the second moving path basedon the first moving path, if the first moving path is changed withnormal moving-path related information by input of the user of the firstmobile communication device.
 21. A method of sharing a moving path amonga plurality of mobile communication devices, the method comprising thesteps of: receiving, by a second mobile communication device among theplurality of mobile communication devices, moving-path relatedinformation regarding a moving path generated by movement of a firstmobile communication device among the plurality of mobile communicationdevices from a central server to which the plurality of mobilecommunication devices are connected; and performing, by the secondmobile communication device, moving-path guidance based on the receivedmoving-path related information of the first mobile communicationdevice.
 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the moving-path relatedinformation comprises at least one of waypoint information, routeinformation, and additional information, which are related to the movingpath.
 23. The method of claim 21, wherein receiving the moving-pathrelated information comprises: requesting, by the second mobilecommunication device, the central server to provide the moving-pathrelated information of the first mobile communication device; andreceiving, by the second mobile communication device, the moving-pathrelated information of the first mobile communication device in realtime through the central server.
 24. The method of claim 21, whereinreceiving the moving-path related information comprises: requesting, bythe second mobile communication device, the first mobile communicationdevice to provide the moving-path related information of the firstmobile communication device; and receiving, by the second mobilecommunication device, the moving-path related information of the firstmobile communication device in real time from the first mobilecommunication device.
 25. The method of claim 21, wherein performingmoving-path guidance comprises performing a moving-path deviationindicating operation if a moving path of the second mobile communicationdevice deviates from the received moving path of the first mobilecommunication device.
 26. The method of claim 21, wherein performingmoving-path guidance comprises suggesting, by the second mobilecommunication device, at least one of a shortest-distance path, a way tomove by public transportation, a shortest-time path based on trafficconditions, and a principal local place, based on additional informationof the received moving-path related information of the first mobilecommunication device.
 27. The method of claim 21, wherein performingmoving-path guidance comprises suggesting, by the second mobilecommunication device, at least one of a shortest-distance path, a way tomove by public transportation, a shortest-time path based on trafficconditions, and a principal local place, based on additional informationof moving-path related information of the plurality of mobilecommunication devices connected to the central server.
 28. A method ofmanaging moving paths of a plurality of mobile communication devices bya central server to which the plurality of mobile communication devicesare connected, the method comprising the steps of: receivinggeographical information regarding a moving path from a first mobilecommunication device among the plurality of mobile communicationdevices; generating moving-path related information of the first mobilecommunication device, which comprises the received geographicalinformation and additional information related to a moving path of thefirst mobile communication device; and transmitting the moving-pathrelated information of the first mobile communication device to a secondmobile communication device among the plurality of mobile communicationdevices.
 29. The method of claim 28, further comprising: authenticatingthe plurality of mobile communication devices and registering theplurality of mobile communication devices as mobile communicationdevices capable of sharing moving-path related information.
 30. Themethod of claim 28, wherein the geographical information compriseswaypoint information and route information which are related to themoving path, and wherein the moving-path related information comprisesthe waypoint information, the route information, and additionalinformation which are related to the moving path.
 31. The method ofclaim 30, wherein generating the moving-path related information of thefirst mobile communication device comprises receiving the additionalinformation related to the moving path of the first mobile communicationdevice from the first mobile communication device and generating themoving-path related information comprising the received waypointinformation, route information, and additional information.
 32. Themethod of claim 30, wherein generating the moving-path relatedinformation of the first mobile communication device comprises:receiving a request for generating the additional information related tothe moving path of the first mobile communication device from the firstmobile communication device; based on the waypoint information and theroute information, generating the additional information comprising atleast one of text data, voice data, and video data which have at leastone of an administrative address, a common name, a neighboring principalplace in regard to the moving path of the first mobile communicationdevice, an image captured by a camera device of the first mobilecommunication device, a reference point of a public transport related tothe moving path of the first mobile communication device, a coverage ofa relay station of the plurality of mobile communication devices,position description, and information about traffic conditions; andgenerating the moving-path related information comprising the generatedadditional information and the waypoint information and the routeinformation.
 33. The method of claim 32, wherein generating theadditional information comprises: searching for reference pointinformation of the public transport, relay station coverage informationof the plurality of mobile communication devices, the positiondescription, the traffic conditions, the text data, the voice data, theimage data, and the video data through the web, wherein the additionalinformation further comprises tag information regarding foundinformation.
 34. The method of claim 28, wherein transmitting themoving-path related information comprises: receiving a request forproviding the moving-path related information of the first mobilecommunication device from the second mobile communication device amongthe plurality of mobile communication devices; and transmitting themoving-path related information of the first mobile communication devicegenerated by the central server to the second mobile communicationdevice on a real time basis.
 35. The method of claim 28, furthercomprising: storing the generated moving-path related information of thefirst mobile communication device in a database for each mobilecommunication device.
 36. The method of claim 35, further comprising:registering the moving path of the generated moving-path relatedinformation in a moving-path history.
 37. The method of claim 36,wherein registering the moving path comprises: when first moving-pathrelated information regarding a first moving path is received from athird mobile communication device among the plurality of mobilecommunication devices, determining whether a second moving path includedin a similar range to the first moving path of the first moving-pathrelated information has been registered among existing moving pathsregistered in the moving-path history.
 38. The method of claim 37,wherein registering the moving path comprises: when the second movingpath has not been registered in the moving-path history as a result ofthe determination, newly registering the first moving path in themoving-path history; and generating statistical data of the first movingpath.
 39. The method of claim 37, further comprising: when the secondmoving path has been registered in the moving-path history as a resultof the determination, updating accumulated data of statistical data ofthe second moving path based on the first moving path; and updating anddetermining statistical values based on the accumulated data.
 40. Themethod of claim 39, further comprising: comparing the first moving pathwith the second moving path in real time to determine whether the firstmoving path runs along the second moving path.
 41. The method of claim40, further comprising: if the first moving path does not deviate fromthe second moving path as a result of the real-time comparison anddetermination, updating statistical data of the second moving path basedon currently updated data of the first moving path.
 42. The method ofclaim 40, further comprising: if the first moving path deviates from thesecond moving path as a result of the real-time comparison anddetermination, transmitting moving-path deviation indicating informationto the third mobile communication device.
 43. The method of claim 40,wherein the real-time comparison and determination comprises comparingwaypoint information and route information of second moving-path relatedinformation of the second moving path with at least one of waypointinformation and route information of the first moving-path relatedinformation of the first moving path.
 44. The method of claim 43,wherein the real-time comparison and determination comprises determiningwhether at least one of a path, coordinates, and speed corresponding toat least one of the waypoint information and the route information ofthe first moving-path related information of the first moving pathdeviates from normal distributions of the waypoint information and theroute information of the second moving-path related information of thesecond moving path.
 45. The method of claim 42, wherein transmitting themoving-path deviation indicating information comprises updating theaccumulated data of the statistical data of the second moving path basedon the first moving path, when the first moving path is changed withnormal moving-path related information by input of the user of the thirdmobile communication device.
 46. The method of claim 28, furthercomprising: receiving moving-path related information regarding a movingpath in a similar range to a third moving path from at least one of theplurality of mobile communication devices; generating statistical dataof the third moving path based on the moving-path related information ofthe moving path in the similar range received from the plurality ofmobile communication devices; and suggesting at least one of ashortest-distance path, a way to use a public transport, a shortest-timepath based on the traffic conditions, and a local principal place whichare to be recommended to the second mobile communication device, inregard to the third moving path.
 47. A mobile communication device whichgenerates moving-path information among a plurality of mobilecommunication devices, the mobile communication device comprising: amoving-path related information generating unit generating moving-pathrelated information regarding a moving path of a first mobilecommunication device among the plurality of mobile communicationdevices; a moving-path related information storing unit storing themoving-path related information in a database and registering the movingpath of the moving-path related information in a moving-path history;and a moving-path related information transmitting unit transmitting thegenerated moving-path related information to a central server to whichthe plurality of mobile communication devices are connected, wherein themoving-path related information transmitted to the central server isprovided to at least one other mobile communication device of theplurality of mobile communication devices connected to the centralserver.
 48. A mobile communication device capable of performinggeographical information guidance for sharing a moving path among aplurality of mobile communication devices, the mobile communicationdevice comprising: a moving-path related information receiving unitreceiving moving-path related information regarding a moving pathgenerated by movement of a first mobile communication device among theplurality of mobile communication devices from a central server to whichthe plurality of communication devices are connected; and a moving-pathguiding unit performing moving-path guidance based on the receivedmoving-path related information of the first mobile communicationdevice.
 49. A central server which manages moving paths of a pluralityof mobile communication devices connected to the central server, thecentral server comprising: a receiving unit receiving geographicalinformation related to a moving path from a first mobile communicationdevice among the plurality of mobile communication devices; a servermoving-path information generating unit generating moving-path relatedinformation of the first mobile communication device, which comprisesthe received geographical information and additional information relatedto the moving path of the first mobile communication device; and aserver moving-path information transmitting unit transmitting themoving-path related information of the first mobile communication deviceto at least one of the plurality of mobile communication devices.
 50. Acomputer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program forexecuting a method of generating moving-path related information to beshared among a plurality of mobile communication devices, wherein themethod comprising the steps of: generating, by a first mobilecommunication device among the plurality of mobile communicationdevices, moving-path related information regarding a moving pathgenerated by movement of the first mobile communication device; andtransmitting the moving-path related information of the first mobilecommunication device to a central server to which the plurality ofmobile communication devices are connected, wherein the moving-pathrelated information of the first mobile communication device transmittedto the central server is provided to at least one other mobilecommunication device of the plurality of mobile communication devicesconnected to the central server.
 51. A computer-readable recordingmedium having recorded thereon a program for executing a method ofsharing a moving path among a plurality of mobile communication devices,wherein the method comprises the steps of: receiving, by a second mobilecommunication device among the plurality of mobile communicationdevices, moving-path related information regarding a moving pathgenerated by movement of a first mobile communication device among theplurality of mobile communication devices from a central server to whichthe plurality of mobile communication devices are connected; andperforming, by the second mobile communication device, moving-pathguidance based on the received moving-path related information of thefirst mobile communication device.
 52. A computer-readable recordingmedium having recorded thereon a program for executing a method ofmanaging moving paths of a plurality of mobile communication devices bya central server to which the plurality of mobile communication devicesare connected, wherein the method comprises the steps of: receivinggeographical information regarding a moving path from a first mobilecommunication device among the plurality of mobile communicationdevices; generating moving-path related information of the first mobilecommunication device, which comprises the received geographicalinformation and additional information related to a moving path of thefirst mobile communication device; and transmitting the moving-pathrelated information of the first mobile communication device to a secondmobile communication device among the plurality of mobile communicationdevices.